Styrax tonkinensis

Styrax tonkinenensis, commonly known as the Tonkin storax tree, is a precious medicinal plant native to Southeast Asia. Renowned for producing fragrant resin, it is traditionally utilized in herbal medicine for its antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, and soothing properties, playing a vital role in both ancient remedies and modern aromatherapy practices.

  • Scientific name: Styrax tonkinensis
  • Family: Styracaceae
  • Native range: Asia-Temperate

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. It is further classified within the order Ericales and the family Styracaceae. Ultimately, its specific taxonomic identity is defined by its placement in the genus Styrax.

Rank Classification Source
Kingdom Plantae WCVP
Phylum Streptophyta WCVP
Class Equisetopsida WCVP
Subclass Magnoliidae WCVP
Order Ericales WCVP
Family Styracaceae WCVP
Genus Styrax WCVP

Common Names

This plant, Styrax tonkinensis, is known by various names depending on the language and region. In Chinese, it is commonly referred to as 越南安息香 (zh-hans), 越南安息香 (zh-hant), 越南安息香 (zh-hk), and 越南安息香 (zh). In Finnish, the species is identified as tonkininstoraksi (fi).
Language Common Name Source
zh-hans 越南安息香 Wikidata
zh-hant 越南安息香 Wikidata
zh-hk 越南安息香 Wikidata
fi tonkininstoraksi Wikidata
zh 越南安息香 Wikidata
zh-cn 越南安息香 Wikidata
zh-tw 越南安息香 Wikidata
az Tonkin stiraksı Wikidata
es Benjuí de Siam Wikidata
es Benjui de Siam Wikidata

Distribution

This plant exhibits a broad geographical distribution across parts of Asia. Within China, it can be found specifically in the South-Central and Southeast regions. Its range extends further into the Indo-China peninsula. In this area, the species is documented in Cambodia and Laos. Additionally, the plant is commonly distributed throughout Thailand.

Region Area Source
China China South-Central WCVP
China China Southeast WCVP
Indo-China Cambodia WCVP
Indo-China Laos WCVP
Indo-China Thailand WCVP
Indo-China Vietnam WCVP

Plant Parts

This plant, Styrax tonkinensis, is primarily valued for its medicinal and aromatic properties derived from its resin. This viscous substance is exuded from the bark of the tree and is harvested through a process of tapping the trunk. Once collected and processed, the resin serves as the active component used in various traditional remedies, often utilized for its antiseptic and soothing qualities in topical or internal applications.
Total parts
1
Scientific sources
1
Plant Part Sources Confidence
resin 1 ★☆☆☆☆

Chemicals

Styrax tonkinensis has 3 reported phytochemicals identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include oleanolic acid, siaresinolic acid, sumaresinolic acid.

Total chemicals
3
Scientific sources
3

Most Reported Compounds

Compound Sources Confidence
oleanolic acid 1 ★☆☆☆☆
siaresinolic acid 1 ★☆☆☆☆
sumaresinolic acid 1 ★☆☆☆☆

Activities

Styrax tonkinensis has 1 reported activities identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antiproliferative.

Total activities
1
Scientific sources
1

Most Reported Activities

Activity Sources Confidence
Antiproliferative 1 ★☆☆☆☆